Unexpected
by Natsing
Summary: Spoilers for RtS Cassie and Pritkin are back from Wales and something unexpected happens. Cassie/Pritkin,


**Unexpected**

 **Chapter 1**

I woke suddenly, mouth dry, heart pumping, unsure of where I was. A movement to my left caught my attention halting my breath, the shadows played over the covers and the decidedly man shaped blob shifted in his sleep as my brain caught up.

My name is Cassie Palmer, former part time tarot reader and now full time Pythia, and it says a lot about my life that the presence of my half demon boyfriend in my bed made me wake in terror. I tried to steady my heart rate with slow breaths, staring at the man I'd chosen. His crazy hair was falling over his face and he looked so peaceful, something I never thought to see. He had told me recently he slept better next to me, of course we'd been sharing a bed ever since, I hadn't told him but I usually slept better with him beside me too. The panic subsided, but a wash of nausea followed in its wake, making me dash from the bed into the cool blue bathroom to throw up. A minute or so into my ordeal rough hands gently pulled my hair away from my face and smoothed along my neck, his warm presence at my back steadying me as the nausea passed. He moved away cleaning up, and passed me a wet towel and some mouth wash.

'Are you ok?' He asked, concern across his face.

'Yeah I guess, probably just a bad burrito, I'm sorry I woke you.' I said as cleaned up and rinsed out my mouth.

'Never be sorry' he said, he stayed close as I cleaned up and once done lifted me up into his arms and back to bed; he kissed me as he joined me on the bed, curling around me protectively as he drifted back to sleep. I took my time returning to sleep, a weird fluttering feeling in my stomach, I actually hadn't eaten any dinner today, I shouldn't have been sick as I was running on empty. I fell asleep to weird dreams of carrying a chubby burrito in my arms.

Pritkin woke the next morning, as bright as a man without coffee and interrupted sleep can actually be, he dressed for training, kissed me again and left without asking me to join him. He was letting me off after last night's bout of sickness. He'd been gone only a few minutes when the sickness came back, but there was nothing to bring up so I sat on the floor in the bathroom mind racing, stomach cramping.

It had been a little over a month since our return from Wales, we'd started our relationship quickly and never really looked back. We'd never discussed our sex life really, beyond confirming we were together, it just sort of happened. We didn't use protection, didn't seem to be an issue as even half demons are not as fertile as the average human, and I'd never thought we'd be able to get pregnant. Well actually I'd never really thought about it at all, but here I was sat on the floor of a bathroom feeling sick and realising I'd not had a period since we'd come home.

I threw on some clothes, black shorts and a red tank top, with a pair of comfy sketchers Pritkin has bought me after a training session where I complained about my feet a lot. I shifted to the Walgreens on the strip, bought a two pack of pregnancy tests and shifted back. I needed to know and it had to be now.

It felt like an age, three minutes staring at a stick, not really knowing what I hoped for. What would Pritkin think? I couldn't get the idea of a mini us out of my mind. The alarm on my phone went off, the stick stared at me, 'Pregnant 3+ weeks'

'oh, shit!'

 **Chapter 2**

He was in the training rooms as I shifted outside the door. I had learnt not to jolt him by turning up unannounced into the training rooms, that way led to being thrown across rooms or under angry war mages, which is only exciting is certain circumstances, ones that had got us into this predicament.

I knocked on the door, two identical positive pregnancy tests in my hand, palms sweaty and the nausea returning, though I thought I could safely say this was nerves rather than morning sickness. The door opened and a sweaty head popped around the door, he smiled, something he'd been doing a lot more of lately and grabbed me around the waist dragging me into the room with a kiss and shove before handing me boxing gloves.

'I didn't come to train.' I said, holding the gloves awkwardly while trying to hide the tests.

'Oh? Our relationship doesn't get you out of training Cassie.' He chided, I sighed and looked at the floor, trying to summon the strength to tell him. 'What's wrong? Are you still sick?'

'Sort of,' I paused raising my hand with the tests towards him 'I'm pregnant Pritkin, at least a month by now.'

He stilled, almost like the vampires did when they were thinking, his only movement the light breathing and occasional blink, I stood there sticks in hand with a wild panic building inside me, what if he freaked and left? What would I do then? Agnes had hidden her pregnancy and her baby from the father, I couldn't ever imagine doing the same to Pritkin; but what if he did it for me, leaving me to make the decision for us. The stillness passed and he took the tests from me, staring at the words before him.

'I never thought it possible.' He whispered, he hadn't run so this was a win so far, my panic tempered slightly. 'I love you Cassie Palmer, this is incredible.' He exclaimed, looking up at me. 'You look upset, is this not a good thing?'

'No, it's just, I need to process this for a bit' I choked out 'I'm freaking out a bit. Pritkin I'm 24, a danger magnet and Pythia, it's so much to take in, a baby? Here and now? While it's died down a bit since Ares' death, I don't think the war is nearly over do you?'

'You don't want it?' He asked, controlling his voice, I finally realised that Pritkin was delighted about the pregnancy.

'I didn't say that, I don't know what I want. I need to think, we need to think' I paused taking jagged breaths 'I'm scared.' I hated admitting that, but he needed to know. 'We don't get to have the white picket fence, house, two kids and a dog. That's not our life and it never will be. Can we keep a baby safe?'

Pritkin pulled me into a hug, resting his head on my hair. 'You need something to eat, and we can work this out.' He sounded so sure, completely solid in his faith we could work it out, he tugged on my hand and lead me back to the Penthouse suite we had moved to since the Consul had relocated.

 **Chapter 3**

The room hadn't changed in the last hour, curtains half open, the bed rumpled from sleep and the light still on in the bathroom, but it felt weird, it wasn't a home, could we raise a child here?

I looked at Pritkin as he called to the kitchen for food, he ordered a mix of items, mostly unhealthy, I knew I was being handled carefully when Pritkin let the bad food come into the suite. I couldn't remember the exact day I fell in love with him, but I remember wholeheartedly the moment I realised, the moment our lives changed forever and my heart seemed full to bursting every time I looked into his eyes. He always looked at me like I was his everything, I wondered if he saw that I was his in mine.

'I ordered a few things, they'll be here soon.' He took my hand again looking into my soul with those emerald eyes. 'We'll be ok Cassie, I promise.'

I burst into tears, unexpectedly, completely grateful and scared stupid all at once. He wrapped me in his arms and pulled me down on the bed and kissed me again, quieting the tears. I'd never thought love could be so intense, I wanted to touch him constantly. I spent a large portion of my days with him but it never got tiring, every time we touched it felt both electric and soothing at the same time. The kiss sped up, becoming hungry but there was no power behind it, even though I enjoyed feeding him now wasn't the time, it was all about us and our connection, our potential future growing inside me.

His hands moved over me, skimming my sides, stroking the skin as he passed, his lips kissed down my body, my neck, my collar bone, down one arm then the other, over the top of my breasts, down my stomach, lingering over my naval so gently, the action quieting the panic thrumming through me, I didn't know how he did it, but he did, calming me with every pass of his lips. He finished kissing my legs and moved back up to look at me. He rested his arms either side of my head, his presence was distracting this close, he smelled the way he always did, like magic, gunpowder and sweat; so very uniquely my Pritkin.

'Can we really do this?' I asked before he took my lips again with his.

'I think we can, I won't let anyone hurt either of you.' He promised. He pulled me into his arms and made all the questions vanish in a flurry of hands, hearts and passion.

 **Chapter 4**

We sat waiting for the results of the scan in the doctor's office, a stuffy room in downtown Vegas, away from anyone we knew. Pritkin held my hand as we waited. A doctor entered the room holding a file.

'Cassandra Palmer?' We stood up and followed him into the only office behind the waiting area. Sat behind the rickety desk and the doctor smiled at us warmly. 'Well everything seems to be ok, you're at roughly five week's gestation, I'd expect you to be able to hear the heartbeat very soon.'

He started to list some things to help with the pregnancy, recommended pre-natal vitamins and provided me with pamphlets, I stared at Pritkin, eyes wide, we'd discussed leaving the pregnancy a secret from the vampires especially, it definitely wasn't the time to let Mircea know.

As we were ushered out of the office, I grabbed Pritkin's hand, 'We can't go back, the vampires will hear the heartbeat, how can I keep a pregnancy a secret when they can hear everything in the suite?'

'Cassie, they're loyal to you, they won't tell Mircea if you ask them not to.'

'Someone told him about you, and I didn't even tell them about it, they're old, clever and can hear everything, we'll never keep it secret… unless we leave.'

Pritkin stared at me in confusion, 'Where would we go, we have responsibilities?'

'Not where, when. We can be gone for months and come back when the baby's here.' I exclaimed, it all made sense now, hide in the past somewhere, and wait 8 months, come back and introduce everyone to baby Palmer/Pritkin, I asked the power 'could we do this?' No feeling of dread, no visions, I counted that as a positive.

'I don't think that's a good idea Cassie, should we be abusing your power like that?'

'I'm not getting any alarm bells from the power, I think this is our way of keeping everyone safe, it doesn't have to be for long, just until the baby's born, it'll be easier to keep them safe away from my body, which people try and kill on the regular.'

'Fine, I don't like it, but I'll concede its safer than our current situation, but we're grabbing supplies first.'

'Deal.'

We shifted back nearly four years to Atlanta. I'd left a stash of money and clothes in a locker in the bus station. I had never gone back for it while living there and I'd left too quickly to ever need it, so it made sense to pick up what I'd dropped off. There was $500 and three changes of clothes, I opened the backpack which was stuffed with more money and clothes from the three stops in Vegas and the other two we'd stopped at in Atlanta, nearly $2000 total to get us a place to stay for a few months, we'd need to get jobs to get by, but it was a good start.

'Ok that's all of it, where to?' I asked the heavily armoured war mage at my side, who must have been sweating in the Georgia humidity and heat.

'The cottage in England is occupied by Jonas, and I've been transferred to Vegas at this point in time so that's out, I did have a small flat rented in London for a time.'

''Would that still be available? London is big, noisy and we'll vanish into the non-magical community well'

'Yes, I left not long ago looking at the date, the landlord held it for me for a month in case I didn't get on with the Vegas heat.'

'I think we may have a plan.'

 **Chapter 5**

I waddled out of the door heading to work, nearly eight months had passed since we came back in time, I was itching to get home; oddly bored with my regular life, Pritkin was in bed following a night as a bouncer for a club in SoHo, he crawled into bed with me for a morning snuggle before I got up to get ready.

The coffee shop was on the corner of our street, it was always busy first thing and slowed into the afternoon before picking up again after office hours, I trudged into the shop, grabbed my apron and squeezed behind the counter, my ever growing bump making getting to the counters and coffee machine more of a struggle than ever.

'Hi Cass, ooh ready to pop now?' My colleague Amanda called, she'd been on vacation for a couple of weeks, and was looking lovely, tan and thin. I'd never been jealous of other women before, but then I'd never waddled before now either.

'Hi Amanda, yeah any day now, I'm 40 weeks on Saturday.' She smiled and came over to have a feel of my bump, pregnancy had made me public property and in particular older people felt the need to touch me all the time. When I was out with Pritkin he got very defensive around people touching me, it was so endearing.

Hours passed in their usual blur at work, Pritkin would stop in at 6pm to buy his daily double shot espresso and an Americano to go and would walk me home, we'd have dinner and then he'd go to work all night; the same routine for seven months now, neither of us would admit it, but regular life really didn't work for us, it was necessary and the right thing in the long run, but I was so bored.

I felt the first twinge at 2pm, nothing much, just a mild cramping. I'd been suffering from Braxton Hicks contractions for a couple of weeks and wasn't overly worried by it, I had another an hour later and a third half an hour later. My waters finally broke at 5pm, I got Amanda to call Pritkin while I tried not to panic.

Five minutes later a crazed war mage in full gear ran into the coffee shop, eyes flashing, searching for me, I was sat at a table by the window trying to remember to breath, he ran over to me, long coat flashing the potion belt he definitely didn't need for a birth.

'Why are you in full gear?' I asked through a mild contraction, my grimace of pain must have been enough to get his full attention, as he'd stopped searching the room.

'Just in case, come on, it's time to go to the hospital.' He helped me up and walked me out to the street, he'd clearly called a taxi as black cab turned the corner ahead of us and began to slow down, finally pulling into the bus stop outside the coffee shop, Pritkin guided me into the back of the car, and barked the hospital at the taxi driver.

 **Chapter 6**

I've been nearly killed more times than I can count, I've been beaten, bruised, cut and had the very essence of me eaten away but nothing prepares you for childbirth. Not the pain, I'd experienced worse in my time, but the emotions. Hormones during my pregnancy had made me weepy more than I'd ever experienced before but nothing prepared me for the joy and love I now felt.

She was so small, pink skin, big green eyes and an angry cry reminiscent of her father. He hadn't left my side, holding my hand through the whole thing and telling me he loved me and our daughter. I'd never been happier than in the moment they handed her to me and Pritkin kissed me.

'You are beautiful and she is perfect.' He exclaimed. I beamed up at him, exhaustion pulling at me to sleep already. I looked down at our miracle and wanted to cry, a huge part of my heart now lay there in my arms, so quickly it had happened and now our family was my everything.

'Phoebe; that's her name, Phoebe.' I looked up at Pritkin, he nodded and smiled again, hugging me to him reaching out to stroke his daughter's face, he looked so beautiful when he smiled.

'Its perfect, she's perfect.' One last kiss and I finally let him take her off me. I'd decided against breast feeding, running around through time and never knowing who'd be feeding her meant bottles were more appropriate, the midwife team had made one up for me and handed it to Pritkin to feed her, while I took a nap. I struggled though, wanting desperately to stay up and see her first few hours in this world, but I couldn't stop my eyes falling closed.

 _The sky was a dirty grey, clouds covering all the way across the valley, I could hear a baby cry, far away, so in pain and clearly suffering. I was stood on top of a hill, black mud all around me, as if the rains had fallen heavily and only recently stopped, though I was dry but for my dirty feet in the mud beneath me. I was wearing a white dress, like the acolytes had worn under Agnes and the golden halo of the Pythian power swirled around me, finally visible. I tried to move, but the mud was holding me fast, catching the edge of the white dress, stopping me from going to the cries. I looked over the valley beneath me, searching for the sound until I saw him, a man, far beneath me in the valley, surrounded by the same mud, but it wasn't restricting him and he was holding my baby. I didn't recognise him, he was too far away, almost fuzzy like bad TV reception but he was holding her up towards me, hand around her neck, chocking the life from her. I reached out with my power, but I was blocked somehow and it wouldn't come to me, it just swirled around me pushing me from above as the slippery mud began to drag me down, slow and steady as I struggled against it with no escape. I tried to call out for Pritkin, to help me or to help the baby but no words left my mouth, the world was silent but the for the cries I listened to as my baby died at the hands of the man I didn't know; the tears fell down my face in silent agony and the mud closed over my head._

I woke with a start sweating and panting, tears prickling my face and heart beating so fast I felt it might jump out of my chest. I searched for Phoebe, she laid in the crib next me fast asleep, Pritkin in the nearby chair dozing. My heart began to slow down in the wake of the dream, though it felt like a vision, like the ones I had received from the Pythian power during Apollo's attacks on earth but this time I knew what it meant. I picked the baby up from her crib and held her close, I only noticed that I was crying again when the blanket wrapped around her was wet from my tears.

Then there he was like he always was, holding me, comforting me, asking what was wrong. I couldn't speak or answer coherently but my features must have said it all. He sat on the edge of the bed.

'She can't come back with us can she Cass?' It was so quiet I nearly didn't hear him.

'No.' I sobbed, 'I know if we do she's not safe. I can't say for sure who the vision was trying to tell me was coming, but we cannot take our baby back home. I need to stay here for a couple more months, I'm not ready to leave her, not sure if I'll ever be but we have time to decide what to do.'

'I'll be here, by both of your sides as long as you want me to.' He kissed me, gentle at first then building, like I was vital to his life, like I was the air he breathed and his love and need calmed me and stalled the sobbing that was threatening to turn to racking cries. The baby woke and started crying, loud shrill noises as I searched for the cause. A nappy change and a feed later Phoebe slept once again, so peaceful and so life altering. I couldn't bear to leave her behind but the vision seemed pretty sure. If I got swept back up in being the Pythia then she'd be lost to me, her safety was all that mattered.

 **Chapter 7**

We returned to the apartment the next day, Pritkin disappeared to the spare room to set it up for our daughter, we had expected to go back to Vegas straight away so had decided not to decorate or even buy any provisions, but we now had a few things we'd had to go straight out and buy to get us through. I found a comfy spot on the sofa, turned the TV on low and rocked Phoebe to sleep while Pritkin swore at the Ikea furniture he struggled to build, mainly because I asked him how he was doing every 5 minutes.

'You're not helping' he yelled at me after the fourth time of asking. I laughed at his huffed swearing and cursing at me, he was cranky due to lack of coffee mainly, so I made him a pot while he finished up in the bedroom. I'd laid the baby into the crook of the sofa between two cushions, and spent half the kettle boiling time checking on her. Eventually the water boiled, I made the coffee and I took him the pot and his favourite mug, which he'd had made with pictures of us all over it. I'd thought it silly at first, but I almost loved that cup as much as he did now. I was angling to get a new one with our new addition on it too.

He'd got the crib up by the time I'd come in and the parts to the chest with the cool changing table on top were scattered over the floor, he looked a bit sweaty for such a fit man, which made me smile again, his crazy hair was stuck up in places and slicked down in others.

'I brought you coffee.' I said, he turned around pivoting on his knee, a deep smile on his face. He took the proffered pot and cup from me placing them down in a spare section of carpet away from the build. He turned back to me as he dug into a pocket. He came up with a box, small, definitely ring sized and opened it towards me.

'It's not exactly as I'd have imagined doing this, but Cassie Palmer, I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of our lives, will you marry me?'

I thought I might faint, the ring was so pretty, a single sapphire surrounded by cluster of diamonds. It was so elegant and matched the man beneath me with its beauty.

'Yes,' I nodded empathically, 'I love you too' I whispered as he placed the ring on my finger, it fit perfectly of course. He got up off his knees and kissed me. 'We'll get married when we get home, ok?' I said as I looked up into my favourite eyes in the world.

'When we get home.' He agreed holding me to him, the moment broke as Phoebe's cries came from the living room.

'Time to be Mom' I told him as I headed over to her. I picked up my screaming daughter, changed her and rocked her back to sleep while Pritkin finished the furniture building.

I held my squirming one year old to my chest as we headed out for the day, Pritkin had gone to work, and I was doing some chores before he got home, which is harder than you'd imagine with a one year old.

'Phoebe please stop wriggling so I can get you in the sling?' I implored her. My daughter's hair was getting longer in the back, the starts of blonde ringlets twisting in the sling as I put her in, I moved the hair out of way and finished doing it up when the vision hit me:

 _It was the night after my return from Wales, a little girl bumped against me in the dark of the room, waking me up, her blonde ringlets under my fingers and with a quiet urgency she crawled into my lap before failing asleep, mumbling 'mommy' as she closed her eyes._

It had been a while since I'd had one, but I knew what it meant, it was time to go home.

 **Chapter 8**

'You're putting it off.' I told Pritkin as he stood outside the familiar building, jiggling our daughter on his hip, she laughed at every bounce a delighted smile on her face.

'Yes, aren't you?' He said looking back at me, my feelings reflected back on his face, neither of us wanted to do this. 'We know she's ok, she's at home already waiting for us Cass, your vision told us as much, she'll be fine in Agnes court so it's time to say goodbye, but why is it so hard?'

'Because we're going to miss two years of her life. I know what she looks like at three, all those ringlets, that beautiful face, but I never appreciated her much before. How can I miss those years?'

I took her back from her father and held her to my chest, cradling her desperate to remember every inch of her, taking in her smell, feeling the starts of the ringlets in her hair. I kissed her head 'I love you Phoebe, we'll see you soon. Be good for Rhea.' I whispered as I move towards the door. I rang the bell and set her on the step, walking back to Pritkin, we waited as the door began to open; I took Pritkin's hand, tears flooding my eyes and shifted.

The suite looked so familiar yet so alien, nearly two years had passed to me and Pritkin, but not even a day had passed to those we'd left behind. I broke down in his arms and he took me to our bed and held me as I grieved our lost baby, and prepared to meet our toddler.

We started slow, revisiting the vampires, Rhea, Tami and the kids before we went to the initiates. I explained the truth as far as I could to everyone, most reactions were shock and delight, but I could see the concern on Marco's face

'He's gonna freak out when he hears.' Marco said

'I'm hoping he won't have to.' I looked at him 'It's a lot to ask, but will you keep our secret for us, I don't know the threat to Phoebe's life, but I know she's safer now than she was as a baby, but it's not gone and while I don't think Mircea is a threat, it's better the fewer people who know.'

He nodded at me 'I'll protect her with my life, hell I already do!' He exclaimed.

I waited a whole twelve hours, but itched to see her. Pritkin let me go alone while he spoke to Jonas about increasing security. I found Phoebe in the younger girls' room, I didn't know how I ever missed the resemblance before, she looked so like me and so like Pritkin too. The other girls greeted me but she held back. I wondered if she knew as her face was careful. I wondered if she remembered a month ago coming into my room in the night after Wales to comfort me, as I had comforted her for a year. I scooped her up after the other girls had finished with me and headed to bed, I carried her into the corridor

'Hi honey.' I said 'How are you today?'

She yawned at me, 'tired mommy' she said to my shock. I hugged her tightly to me bobbing her on my hip.

'Shh baby we can't tell everyone. Keep it quiet around the vampires and the other kids ok?' She yawned again rubbing her eyes as she nodded her agreement 'How did you know?' I asked her gently.

'I Saw you and Daddy in my head, coming to see me.' She said matter of factly. She'd had a vision of her parents. I was only pleased it wasn't like the one I'd had of mine. 'Can I come stay with you?'

'You'll come stay with us when we can, just you me and daddy soon I promise but you need to stay here with the others when I'm being Pythia, like Rhea did with her mommy, It's very important.' She nodded again, looking much older than her three years.

'I have to go now, I'll see you tomorrow though. Night night Phoebe Pritkin' I whispered in her ear as I took her back into the room and tucked her into bed.

'Night night Mommy.' She whispered as I moved away.

'Goodnight girls, be good for Rhea and Tami.' I said to the room as I went out. A murmur of agreement followed me out as I turned off the lights and left to return to our room.

Pritkin sat on the bed, surrounded by potion bottles and guns. He looked up as I entered and started to move the potions off the bed to a small basket he'd brought up from his room, I left him to tidy up while I took a shower, 15 minutes later I was clean and the room was back to its usual potion and weapon-free state.

'Why don't you grab a shower? I thought we'd go out tonight.' I said, eyeing the portion stains on his fingers. He started walking over to the bathroom beside me, taking off his top as he went, he still made my mouth drop in awe; hard abs and soft fuzzy hair welcomed me as he embraced me, catching my lips with his. I had to force myself away so I could concentrate. 'Go on, I'll not be distracted.' I laughed at him as he moved away, checking out his ass as he passed. I marvelled daily at how lucky I was, I had a man who adored me and we had a wonderful life together. It was time to make it official.

He returned from the shower 10 minutes later, I'd laid out his grey suit that complemented his eyes, it was his only suit, but it was lovely nonetheless. I'd put on some makeup and attempted to tame my curls with some product and put on a pretty dress I'd eyed at Augustine's which had mysteriously ended up in the wardrobe a few days later. Pritkin obviously approved as his eyes went wide. 'Are you ready to get married?' I asked.

'I thought you'd never ask.' He kissed me again, this time more chaste, but no less loving. We dressed quickly and looked up a nearby chapel to marry us.

'I love you John Pritkin, let's go make this family official.' I said, grabbing his hand and shifted.

 **The End**


End file.
